Shea Butter

Shea butter is the only butter in my lotions, and that is because it is the best. Shea butter comes from a nut, but don't worry if you have nut allergies, as there has never been a documented case of reaction from shea nut butter.

Shea butter has a pretty awesome chemical makeup.

• linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids are all compounds that balance the oil on your skin

• vitamins A, E, and F are antioxidants that promote circulation and healthy skin cell regeneration

• MCT's, or triglycerides are also present in shea butter and have the same nourishing benefits for your skin as they do in coconut oil

• cetyl esters help to condition your skin and lock in moisture

But what does all of this mean? It means that shea butter has a lot to give when it comes to skin care. Just like coconut oil, it is moisturizing because of the fatty acid content. It acts as and reinforces the skin barrier by not only restoring lipids and rapidly creating moisture, but also holding the moisture in and reducing the likeliness of dryness. It also will not make your skin oily or greasy. The linoleic and oleic acids balance each other out, making for easy absorption and a non-greasy feel. Shea butter has also been shown to provide anti-inflammatory properties. It triggers inflammatory cells to slow production which may minimize our skins reaction to environmental factors such as dry weather. It also helps boost collagen production because of the triterpenes contained in the shea butter, which are a naturally occurring chemical compound that are thought to deactivate collagen fiber destruction.

Not only does shea butter have all these amazing properties, but it helps to give my lotion the texture that everyone loves. It adds thickness to my product which makes it more comparable to a body butter then a lotion. It also aids in the quick absorption and non-greasy feeling that I love to boast about. Shea butter is slightly harder to work with, as it is solid and hard at 70 degrees, but it is worth it. My product would not be what it is without shea butter as an ingredient.